Roe Deer

The roe deer is a relatively small deer that can be found in forests throughout Europe.

It is sometimes seen in grasslands.

An adult roe deer is usually between 3 and 4 ½ feet long, with a shoulder height of between 2 and 2 ½ feet.

It has a reddish body and a grey face.

Roe deer can be difficult to spot.

If a roe deer is suspicious, it will remain motionless against the forest background.

It will only bound away if it is sure that it has been seen.

A roe deer can cover as much as 17 yards in a single jump.

As it leaps away, it will reveal a patch of light-colored hair on its rump. It can pump up this hair as an alarm signal to other roe deer.

A roe buck (adult male) usually has antlers with three branches, or points, on each side, making six points in all. They may be as much as a foot long in total.

When the antlers are growing, in the beginning of the year, they are covered in velvet (furry skin).

Once the antlers are fully grown, they harden. The velvet dies. The buck rubs the velvet off by scraping his antlers up and down a tree, an activity known as fraying.Unlike larger breeds of deer, roe do not usually form herds. Instead, they live on their own or in small groups.

They will congregate in winter, when food is confined to limited areas.